[Graphic Mod] Varietas Delectat v9.2 [civ specific unit sets]

[avain]

It stops working while it loads XML! Help!

You did everything according to the installation instructions?
What is the exact error message?

 

[avain]

I'm working on the Hungarian Mod for VD, you can see some screenshots here, now I only have to wait for Bakuel's units:

View attachment 205285
View attachment 205317
View attachment 205325
View attachment 205410

 

[Yecos]

Avain, your mod is awesome!

Guys,
I'm looking for playing with your mod on the Rhye's earth Huge Map (Europe enlarged) with historical start locations. (or any comparable map)

When I try to launch Earth18civ as a scenario under varietas the game crashes.

Is there a way to do it ?

Cheers

 

[Bahmo]

You did everything according to the installation instructions?
What is the exact error message?

"Sid Meiers Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword has stopped working. Would you like to report blablablah..."

I'm trying to play this on my laptop since my computer is in the shop, so I had to install BTS again, but it told me it would auto-update, so it should be at version 3.17. Any way to check, however?

 

[Lone Wolf]

I've heard auto-updating can have some problems.

 

[avain]

@Bahmo: yes, you can check it from the main menu. (if I remember correctly, it's Options->Build, or something like that...)

@Yecos: if you are only using VD (without MEE), I think you should have no problems...?

 

[avain]

Ok, guys/girls, I'm now officially annoyed with some of the units just smoking all the time as if damaged
If I know correctly, it has to do something with the damagestates(?)
Is there's someone who could do this kind of corrections, or at least point me to a tutorial how to do it?

 

[The_Coyote]

if you can give me an example unit i will look at it (but perhaps i havn´t time for this the next 7 days - atm i´m running low on free time), if i see an easy way i will say you what you can do (a quick and dirty way should be to rename the damage smoke node in the nif - but than there should be no smoke - even if the unit is damaged)

 

[avain]

if you can give me an example unit i will look at it (but perhaps i havn´t time for this the next 7 days - atm i´m running low on free time), if i see an easy way i will say you what you can do (a quick and dirty way should be to rename the damage smoke node in the nif - but than there should be no smoke - even if the unit is damaged)

Jeez, thanks!
I'm not at home atm, so the best examples I can give you is from this pic (my Hungary mod):
http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=205487&d=1235940022

E.g. from VD and MEE:
the HUMVEE, the Italian Semovente Assault Gun...

E.g. from my Hungary mod:
the Command Car (called Csaba), the tank (Turan)

I can give you more precise examples when I get home, but these seem wrong...

 

[The_Coyote]

dl the turan (Snafusmith) and looked at the files. The "Problem" is that the smoke effect is attached but there is no trigger in the animation files. The unit has damage stats.

If you open the nif in nifscope you will see a node called ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE with a child NiVisController. This controls the visibilitiy of the object. in vanilla units the NiBoolInterpolator is set in the animation files.

some solutions ideas (no in game test):

1.)
the easiest solution would be to remove the entire ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE branch (also remove the entry from attachables)

2.)
exchange the effekt in the attachable node
ATTACH:ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE:ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAMAGE_SMOKE

ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAMAGE_SMOKE is the xml code for the effect, you can exchange it with something more fitting

3.)
rescale the ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE node (you can also resize the effect dummies), will not remove the effect but make him less dominating

4.)
set NiBoolInterpolator to no (not sure if this really works, it depends if the informations in the NiBoolData are used or not - could be that you must also there the booleans values)

if it doesn´t work like i think or you have problems (with this solution or a different unit) please report

 

[avain]

dl the turan (Snafusmith) and looked at the files. The "Problem" is that the smoke effect is attached but there is no trigger in the animation files. The unit has damage stats.

If you open the nif in nifscope you will see a node called ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE with a child NiVisController. This controls the visibilitiy of the object. in vanilla units the NiBoolInterpolator is set in the animation files.

some solutions ideas (no in game test):

1.)
the easiest solution would be to remove the entire ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE branch (also remove the entry from attachables)

2.)
exchange the effekt in the attachable node
ATTACH:ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE:ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAMAGE_SMOKE

ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAMAGE_SMOKE is the xml code for the effect, you can exchange it with something more fitting

3.)
rescale the ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE node (you can also resize the effect dummies), will not remove the effect but make him less dominating

4.)
set NiBoolInterpolator to no (not sure if this really works, it depends if the informations in the NiBoolData are used or not - could be that you must also there the booleans values)

if it doesn´t work like i think or you have problems (with this solution or a different unit) please report

Thanks, I will try these out as soon as I have time!

 

[avain]

Ok, now I can remove the smoke (I renamed the ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE to something else)

but can you please elaborate on:
2.)
exchange the effekt in the attachable node
ATTACH:ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE:ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAM AGE_SMOKE

ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAMAGE_SMOKE is the xml code for the effect, you can exchange it with something more fitting

thanks!

 

[The_Coyote]

the smoke is attached to the model, the attached effects are not activated by the text keys in the kf files (like weapon effects, foot steps, etc), the are activated directly in the nif. In most cases the visibilitiy of the nodes is controlled in the animation files (kf).

In the nif there is a node called Attachables, in this node the informations for the attached effects are stored in the following structur:

ATTACH:Which_Node_in_the_nif:Intern_Effect_Name

eg:
ATTACH:ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE:ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAM AGE_SMOKE

the node says where to apply the effect in the nif, in this case ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE

in the effects.xml (or something similar - the name is relativ clear) all effects are listed with their intern name (txt key). In this case ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAM AGE_SMOKE

Now you could exchange the damge smoke with a more appropriate effect (iirc there is also white smoke, which could be on the right position and scale in the nif have a good effect [it could look like exhaust])

it would be also possible to only activate the effect in a certain animation, eg run, but in this case you must edit the kf files - add the visibilitiy controller for the effect node

 

[Lone Wolf]

My only beef with that mod is that's werid to see Medieval Knights and 18th - early 19th century musket infantry fighting together (English and German units sets, especially English, with the Knight and the Redcoat being coexistent side-by-side).

In standard BTS the musketman model is modelled on the 16-17th century musketmen, which makes their coexistence with Knights slightly less jarring.

Then again, maybe the failure is in Civ lack of detalization here - ideally, we'd need at least another foot gunpowder unit class after Musketman, but before Rifleman. And we'd need an early Cannon, too - I've always throught it werid that after you discover Gunpowder, your siege units are still Catapults and Trebuchets.

 

[avain]

the smoke is attached to the model, the attached effects are not activated by the text keys in the kf files (like weapon effects, foot steps, etc), the are activated directly in the nif. In most cases the visibilitiy of the nodes is controlled in the animation files (kf).

In the nif there is a node called Attachables, in this node the informations for the attached effects are stored in the following structur:

ATTACH:Which_Node_in_the_nif:Intern_Effect_Name

eg:
ATTACH:ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE:ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAM AGE_SMOKE

the node says where to apply the effect in the nif, in this case ATTACHABLE_DAMAGE_SMOKE

in the effects.xml (or something similar - the name is relativ clear) all effects are listed with their intern name (txt key). In this case ATTACHABLE_TANK_DAM AGE_SMOKE

Now you could exchange the damge smoke with a more appropriate effect (iirc there is also white smoke, which could be on the right position and scale in the nif have a good effect [it could look like exhaust])

it would be also possible to only activate the effect in a certain animation, eg run, but in this case you must edit the kf files - add the visibilitiy controller for the effect node

Ok, thanks.
Do you per chance know which unit(s) have this white smoke?

 

[avain]

My only beef with that mod is that's werid to see Medieval Knights and 18th - early 19th century musket infantry fighting together (English and German units sets, especially English, with the Knight and the Redcoat being coexistent side-by-side).

In standard BTS the musketman model is modelled on the 16-17th century musketmen, which makes their coexistence with Knights slightly less jarring.

Then again, maybe the failure is in Civ lack of detalization here - ideally, we'd need at least another foot gunpowder unit class after Musketman, but before Rifleman. And we'd need an early Cannon, too - I've always throught it werid that after you discover Gunpowder, your siege units are still Catapults and Trebuchets.

Yes, I agree with you.
But then again, we can only work with what we have. I prefer to have a good looking unit and stretch the timescale a bit.
Also, in the name of diversity, I still think it's better to have units like BTR-80 as mech inf for some nations against the Bradley of the USA, which is infinitely superior but they share the same stats in game.
Diversity - and no gameplay changes in VD.
I also have a Modern Era mod for VD, which incorporates some ideas, it's a good place to discuss these kind of questions. I was already thinking about the early cannon, and will most probably add to MEE.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Well, theoretically, it's possible to make Renaissance Knights look different from Medieval Knights or something like that, the same way Settlers and Workers change their looks with era advancements. It, probably, may be slightly confusing, but then, if you are easily confused, you wouldn't use Varietas Delectat anyway.

 

[avain]

Well, theoretically, it's possible to make Renaissance Knights look different from Medieval Knights or something like that, the same way Settlers and Workers change their looks with era advancements. It, probably, may be slightly confusing, but then, if you are easily confused, you wouldn't use Varietas Delectat anyway.

Yep, but there's 3 tags:
Early, medieval and late.
Does Renaissance count as late?

 

[Lone Wolf]

That sucks.

Maybe then, you can use the standard BTS musketman mode for Musketmen (keeping those models that don't look 18 - early 19th century-ish as they are, of course), and have Ethincally Diverse Muskets from 18 - early 19th centuries represent the Renaissanse Riflemen?

 

[avain]

That sucks.

Maybe then, you can use the standard BTS musketman mode for Musketmen (keeping those models that don't look 18 - early 19th century-ish as they are, of course), and have Ethincally Diverse Muskets from 18 - early 19th centuries represent the Renaissanse Riflemen?

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't know if it's even possible to get Riflemen while being still in med/ren. era. Even if yes, that's a marginal case. And I like those riflemen units But of course you are free to modify the sets to your liking, it's as easy as deleting some lines in the XML files for England and Germany.